Wednesday, June 15, 2016

The Narcicyst - Iraqi Prime Time News & Hamdulillah (2009)

Yassin Alsalman, or The Narcicyst/Narcy as he’s known,
a Canadian-Iraqi hip-hop artist is the paranoid Arab boy with a lot on his
mind.

He is political hip-hop at its true meaning with almost
poetic lyrics that tackle American foreign politics, racial profiling of Arabs
and Muslims and much more. If you love that meaningful, old-school type hip-hop
mentality of using the power of music to reach the masses, then The Narcicyst
is for you. He is ironic, satiric at times, and thought provoking.

Now, time to break down the song ’’Iraqi Prime Time News’’ from ’’The
Narcicyst ’’, released back in 2009.

Musically, the song has an interesting
blend of Indian sitar infused with the usual hip-hop beat at the background and
sort of a jazzy element in the chorus. As weird as this mix may sound, it
works!

It’s cohesive and the music in the background is not
overpowering the powerful lyrics. The song is simple, yet not failing to make a statement and
commanding attention.

Another song I wanted to share my thoughts on is The
Narcicyst ft. Shadia Mansour – Hamdulillah*, a single from 2009.

You put two talented Arab hip-hop artists together,
what do you get - that’s right, something unimaginably incredible. Shadia, the
first lady of Arabic hip hop, and Narcy complementing each other; divine vocals
plus superb lyrics..no wonder this is his most popular song and most viewed
video. The song was even featured in the movie Fast & Furious 7.

Again, the music is rather minimalistic and doesn’t
take over the lyrics, but complements them.

This simple, relatively short yet
hauntingly exceptional piece does not fail to make an impact.

What I personally love about The Narcicyst’s creation
is the simplicity combined with the focus on the meaningful lyrics adding up to
mesmerizing masterpieces. As someone who is not a huge hip-hop fan, I find his
music a stand out from others, and I give him props for speaking his mind, breaking
stereotypes and spreading knowledge through his music. He is a Talent with a
capital T worth acknowledging, so give his music a shot.